The ongoing protests in Iran have garnered interest from people around the world, especially women. On September 13 of this year, a 22-year-old Kurdish-Iranian woman by the name of Mahsa (Zhina) Amini was arrested by the Tehran morality police at the train station. The morality police, Gasht-e Ershad, was founded over 15 years ago to enforce dress codes, such as the compulsory wearing of headscarves, by issuing warnings or detaining citizens. After three days, on September 16, Mahsa Amini was declared dead. The Iranian government claims that Amini had underlying health conditions but her family objects that she did not have any issues before her arrest. The other women who were arrested at the same time told Amini’s father that the police assaulted her in the van during transit from the train station to the police station. However, her father was told by authorities that their security cameras in the van were not functioning. The inconsistent narrative told by the government supports the belief that Amini was murdered by the morality police leading to the continuing revolts in Iran.
The law of the mandatory hijab has existed since the Islamic Revolution of 1979. According to Assal Rad, the research director of The National Iranian American Council and the author of “State Of Resistance: Politics, Culture And Identity In Modern Iran,'' protests have occurred since the introduction of the mandatory hijab law and that at heart of these revolts Iranian women are calling out the flawed systems that promised but fail to uphold freedom, precisely, the freedom of choice. The Islamic Revolution of 1979 presumed to replace the authoritarian monarchy instated by Mohammed Reza Shah Pavali with a republic that elevates democracy and human rights. Mohammed Reza Shah Pavali’s regime supported Westernization and adapting Eurocentric standards, which led to the banning of hijabs, a restriction that prevented the freedom of choice just as the 1979 law forcing women to wear hijabs. An understanding of Iran’s history is crucial for a true comprehension of its current political state. Under each administration women are never given the decision to wear or not to wear a hijab. The constant suppression of agency from regime to regime, especially towards women, fuels the anger seen by the protesters of today.
Why have governments, and more specifically men within these institutions, taken it upon themselves to police women’s bodies, henceforth restricting their agential powers? The silencing of a group by limiting their options marginalizes women while also instilling a dichotomy of the subaltern — those who cannot choose for themselves, subject to the laws of their country, and the hegemony– those who are free to exercise agency and have power to restrict others. More often than not, this dichotomy is between man or masculinity (hegemony) and woman or femininity (subaltern), clearly diagnosing the root problem as sexism. This is not a statement attributing every problem in the world to men, but rather recognizing that powerful systems across the globe uphold hegemonic masculinity, which is unconducive to femininity. What is the harm in an Iranian woman choosing whether or not she wants to wear a hijab? When hegemonic systems are displaced from their throne of repression, rage and retaliation occur, evident with the Guardian’s report that “Officially at least 41 people have died since the unrest began, mostly protesters but including members of the security forces, but sources say the real figure is higher.”
Sexism plagues our world, as seen in Iran with the woman and allies who are fighting to be heard, the women in the U.S who are now living in a post-overturn of Roe vs Wade world, the femicide rates in Mexico that cause women to say, “I am scared to simply be a woman in Mexico,” and many more unabating assaults on women. As a woman myself, observing the trajectory of our modern world to the incessant patrolling of women and our actions, I sympathize with the women in Iran. Here is why you should too. It has been said that an attack on freedom anywhere is an attack on freedom everywhere. While my personal beliefs do not always align with protestors everywhere, our responsibility should lie with the outcasts and repressed. Each human being, woman, man or non-binary person should be able to decide how they navigate their own lives. The golden rule, “ do unto others as you would want them to do unto you,” should be at the forefront of minds when situations like these arise. Human rights issues involve every living human.
As students of an academic institution that promotes the ability we have to change the world I will share resources to educate you on this matter, and direct you to ways in which you can help.
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of Andrews University. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, Andrews University or the Seventh-day Adventist church.